A video showing a man urinating on a labourer in Madhya Pradesh’s Sidhi district has prompted a sharp reaction from the opposition Congress, which alleged that the culprit is an associate of a sitting BJP MLA – a charge the party denied. The video also prompted Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan to ask authorities to take stern action.
“A viral video of Sidhi district has come to my notice. I have instructed the administration to arrest the culprit and take strict action and also impose NSA (National Security Act),” Chouhan tweeted.
Police have registered a case under IPC sections 294 (obscene acts and songs), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against the accused, Pravesh Shukla. The man he is allegedly seen urinating on is a tribal, said police.
Deputy Superintendent of Police (Sidhi) Priya Singh said, “The video has come to my notice. The local police station in-charge has been notified and investigation is underway. I am also heading to the spot to investigate the facts. I will not be able to comment on whether the accused was a representative of an MLA; the facts of the case need to be investigated first.”
The Congress has alleged the accused is an associate of Sidhi MLA Kedarnath Shukla. When contacted, the MLA’s spokesperson told The Indian Express, “This man is not a representative of the MLA. He is not even a BJP member.”
Speaking to local reporters, the MLA also denied allegations that the accused was associated with him. Asked about photos in which the two men are seen together, he said, “When I go out in the constituency, there are many people who come with me. I attend so many programmes. He is not a BJP member.”
“Nobody has complained to me about this incident previously; I did not know about this until the media reported on this case. I demand the strictest action against the culprit. I strongly condemn this act and support the Chief Minister’s action in this case,” the MLA said.
Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee President Kamal Nath meanwhile demanded that the “accused be given the strictest punishment and the atrocities against tribals in Madhya Pradesh be brought to an end”.
“A video has surfaced showing a heinous act of urinating on a tribal youth from the Sidhi district of the state. Such despicable and degrading behaviour towards a tribal youth has no place in a civilised society. It is alleged that the person involved in this act is associated with the Bharatiya Janata Party. Madhya Pradesh is already notorious for atrocities against tribals. This incident has brought shame to the entire state. I demand that the guilty person be given the strictest punishment and that the atrocities against tribals in Madhya Pradesh be brought to an end,” Nath’s statement read.
Madhya Pradesh Tribal Congress President Ramu Tekam said, “There is no humanity left now… the representative of MLA Kedarnath Shukla… was in an inebriated condition and urinated on a tribal man while he smoked a cigarette… Shivraj Singh talks about how he is a protector of the tribals; today his party’s real face has come to the fore.”
BJP spokesperson Narendra Saluja said, “When the MLA has said this man is not connected to him, why is the Congress playing politics over such a shameful incident? It has no issues left to talk about so it is scoring political points over this issue. The accused has no connections with the BJP.”
Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee President Kamal Nath (left) and Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan (right) 
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